Monday, October 26

va: new design practice presentation

In this innovative studio, Art Center’s commitment to global social and economic justice was inspired by and started with the Nike Foundation’s belief that adolescent girls can play a crucial role in solving the toughest problems facing the world. When a girl living in poverty has the chance to reach her full potential, she isn’t the only one who escapes the circumstances she was born into. She brings her family, community and country with her. This is called the Girl Effect.

Girl Effect works to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. They do this by connecting girls to each other and to the critical assets they need. They work to create lasting perception change by harnessing media in innovative ways and building social networks to develop girls' positive perceptions of themselves and shift how others see and value them. They take a girl-centred approach to the challenges they face.

basic timeline for how they got started:

2004

Nike Foundation focuses on adolescent girls as the unexpected solution to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

2008

The Girl Effect movement is launched to global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos as the NoVo Foundation and NIKE Foundation commit $100M for girls. The Girl Effect film captures the world's attention.

2010

The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) and NIKE Foundation collaborate to launch Girl Hub - to bring together the expertise of both organisations to transform the lives of adolescent girls. Girl Hub operates in Ethiopia, Nigeria and Rwanda, and advocates globally for girls.

The Clock is Ticking video launches at the Clinton Global Initiative to international acclaim.

2014

Girl Effect announces partnership with internet.org, a Facebook-led initiative which aims to connect the two thirds of the world that don't have internet access, connecting girls across the globe.

2015

Girl Effect launches as an independent organisation

top left: THE SOAP PROJECT – SOAP-MAKING COLLECTIVE WORKSHOPS

Young girls team up with older mentors to create soap bars using affordable tools that encourage cooperation, creativity and income-generation centered on basic hygiene needs. The goal is to make the co-ops self-sustaining by passing down knowledge from older to younger girls.

top right: GIRL SIGHT – CAMERA AND PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH

Since girls in poverty are the best voices to tell others what girls in poverty need, this affordable camera offers girls an outlet to express themselves and document their lives in a creative manner; the uploaded images are also valuable resources for social service offering direct insight to best plan and design effective programs.

bottom left: TOMBI KIT – PRE-MENSTRUATION KIT

With a lack of knowledge, privacy and resources, young girls often avoid school during their menstruation cycle, which could lead to educational setbacks. Engaging girls before they start puberty, the Tombi kit would answer questions, alleviate fears and provide tools for girls to discreetly take care of themselves.

bottom right: BAHU – MULTIPURPOSE FOOD PREP TOOL

Preparing meals often monopolizes a young girl’s waking day and limits her school attendance, social interactions and potential value in the community. Often a girl has only one large knife in her possession, likely passed down from older generations. The multifaceted Bahu food prep tool streamlines the cutting, peeling, crushing and rolling process into one curved-shaped tool (with a built-in sharpener) that is ergonomically designed for a young girl’s hands.